Both plays — All or Nothing by former BU counsellor Bruce Sarbit and Aleta Dey: A Rehearsal by Lakevold himself — are set in the early decades of the 1900s and based on the lives of individuals who struggled for peace, equality, and justice.

All or Nothing dramatizes the last days of Spanish writer and philosopher Miguel de Unamuno, who was arrested by the fascist Franco regime in 1936.

”All the elements of great drama surfaced in Unamuno’s life — crisis and passion, and the search for meaning in the face of life and death. The dramatic examination of Unamuno’s life leads us to examine our own lives,” said Sarbit.

All or Nothing, which features acclaimed Winnipeg actor Harry Nelken, was a Winnipeg Fringe Festival hit in 2011. It was nominated for the Harry S. Rintoul Award for Best Manitoba Play at the Fringe and received five-star reviews in the Winnipeg Free Press and Uptown.

“Harry Nelken is God,” said the Uptown reviewer. “His ability to crawl inside the character is uncanny.”

Aleta Dey: A Rehearsal presents the poignant story of a fiercely independent young woman who was raised on a farm south of Brandon. In 1910, she moved to Winnipeg to take part in the struggle for women’s rights and for an end to war. The play is based on the 1919 novel Aleta Dey by Francis Marion Beynon, a member of the Political Equality League that led the suffrage movement in Manitoba and succeeded in gaining the vote for women.

Lakevold’s play opens in the Hartney area, where Beynon grew up. It offers a portrait of the joy and hardship of life on a prairie farm in the early 1900s. The second act shifts to Winnipeg, where Aleta becomes a journalist and falls in love just as Canada enters the war. One of Winnipeg’s finest young actors, Tracy Penner, who recently appeared in Theatre Project Manitoba’s hit play about Mennonite life, The Moonlight Sonata of Beethoven Blatz by Armin Wiebe, will perform the role of Aleta. The director will be Daria Puttaert, who appeared this March in Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre’s production of The Fighting Days by Wendy Lill.

“The story goes to the heart of life in this part of the country and reminds us of who we are. It shows us that the people of Manitoba may be modest yet stubborn and determined,” said Lakevold. “This is the place where the fight for equality and human rights took root and where it continues to this day.”

The Winnipeg shows will take place in the Rudolf Rocker Cultural Centre. In Brandon, All or Nothing will be held on June 6 and 7, while Aleta Dey will be presented on June 8 and 9, in the Evans Theatre. Tickets are $12 for one show or $20 for both. To reserve tickets for pick-up at the door, please call 204-727-7413 or send an email message to lakevold@brandonu.ca. Advance tickets are also available at Campus Books, in the Knowles-Douglas building at Brandon University.
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Through multiple rounds of live presentations-based competitions, SIFE teams showcase how their community outreach projects are shaping the economic, social and environmental landscape of Canada. Business leaders serve as the panel of judges who will evaluate each team’s projects and determine which team was most successful at improving the quality of life and standard of living for those in their community and name that team the SIFE National Champion.

The National Champion will then move on to represent Canada at the prestigious SIFE World Cup, held in Washington, DC in October. The SIFE Brandon team has been working very hard on their presentation over the past few months and thanks in advance the community for their support.

SIFE is an International non-profit organization that brings together the leaders of today and tomorrow to create a better, more sustainable world through the positive power of business. Founded in 1975, SIFE has active programs on more than 1,500 college and university campuses in 39 countries. Through projects that improve the lives of people worldwide, the university students, academic professionals and industry leaders who participate in SIFE are demonstrating that individuals with a knowledge and passion for business can be a powerful force for change. For more information, contact SIFE Canada at 1-416-304-1566 or visit acecanada.ca
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For more information, please contact:

Candace Claeys
President-SIFE Brandon
claeys.candace@gmail.com
204-573-2331

Tyler Lane
Vice President of Marketing
tyler@tlanelabs.com
204-724-2651

Brittany Oliver
Vice President of Human Resources
brittanykoliver@hotmail.com
204-573-0786

These garden beds will serve as an urban farm to provide families with the opportunity to grow and sell their own fresh produce and to help generate extra income. Working with Samaritan House, SIFE Brandon has identified 60 families who could benefit most from these gardens. Samaritan House also intends to use 10 of these garden beds to grow fresh produce for the Food Bank.

Anyone wishing to volunteer at this event is asked to please contact one of the SIFE members listed below. The SIFE Brandon team thanks the community in advance for its help and support in making this possible.

SIFE is an International non-profit organization that brings together the leaders of today and tomorrow to create a better, more sustainable world through the positive power of business. Founded in 1975, SIFE has active programs on more than 1,500 college and university campuses in 39 countries. Through projects that improve the lives of people worldwide, the university students, academic professionals and industry leaders who participate in SIFE are demonstrating that individuals with a knowledge and passion for business can be a powerful force for change. For more information, contact SIFE Canada at 1-416-304-1566 or visit acecanada.ca
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For more information, please contact:

Candace Claeys
President-SIFE Brandon
claeys.candace@gmail.com
204-573-2331

Tyler Lane
Vice President of Marketing
tyler@tlanelabs.com
204-724-2651

The schedule is as follows:

9:00-10:00—Why We Buy It and Why We Toss It
• Barbara Farough: “Shilling with Exploitation: Advertising as Reflected in a Capitalist Patriarchy”
• Nicole Peel: “Greening of Greed: A Critical Analysis of the Current Green Movement”
• Tauvia Siemens: “Development of a Refuse Audit across the Brandon University Grounds”
10:00-10:45—Killings
• Jason Dooley: “Lethal Formalities: The Killing of Capt. Thomas Innes by Capt. Edward Clark”
• Morganna Malyon: “The Griffintown Horror”
10:45-11:45—Cultural Representations
• Jenn Maxwell: “Ambrogio Lorenzetti’s Allegory and Effects of Good Government: The Hypothetical Rhetoric of Iustitia, Pax, Concordia, and Securitas“
• Katie Solbeck: “Mortimer”
• Adam Schipper: “King Theese”
11:45-12:45—The Prairies
• Kelsey Howell: “A Habitat Structure Comparison of Successful vs. Failed Northern Shoveler (Anas clypeata) nests in Antelope Creek, Alberta”
• Joel Springer: “The Changing Landscape: The Commission on the Transportation of Grain by Rail, the Crow’s Nest Pass Rate’s, and the Fight Over the Future of Grain Transport in Western Canada”
• Jurgen Van der Sluijs: “Using an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle for the Development of High Resolution Digital Elevation Models for Localized Areas”
12:45-1:30—Perceptions
• Fabien Cayer: “Quid Est?: The Uncertainty of Perceptional Correctness”
• Benjamin Lockhart: “The Handling of Minimal Risk Research by Ethics Review Boards”
1:30-2:30—Brandon!
• Mike McFarlane: “The Fundamentalist Modernist Controversy at Brandon College, 1919-1923″
• Evan Stitt: “Magnacca as Mayor”
• Natalie Majcher: “‘Those (students) who are promiscuous need medical or psychiatric attention’: The 1971 contraceptive controversy at Brandon University”
2:30-3:15—But It Doesn’t Look Like Democracy
• Brad McClelland: “The State of Democracy in Contemporary Russia: Are Critics too Cynical?”
• Chris Hunt: “Putting the Regent Back into Vice Regent: How the Governor General Can Protect our Democracy”
3:15-4:00—At the Edge of Empire
• Jenn Maxwell: “The rebellion out west is getting a rather hot affair”: British-Canadian Nation Building amidst the Northwest Rebellion of 1885″
• Jeremy Roberts: “Adaptation and Imposition: The Settlement of a Pioneer Family in the Canadian Prairie West”
4:00-5:00—Medieval Worlds
• Natalie Majcher: “Penance, Clerical Education and the Fourth Lateran Council”
• Morganna Malyon: “Jews and Christians in the High Middle Ages: Accusations of Blood Libel”
• Chris Bentley: “The Production of Maleficia: Magic and Sorcery in the High Middle Ages”
5:00-5:45—Cross-Cultural Education
• Chris Bentley: “English as a Language for (Em)Power(ment): EAL Education, Multiculturalist Policy, and Critical Pedagogy in Socio-Historical Perspective, 1950 to the Present”
• Ryan Premack: “Culture in the Music Classroom”
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For more information, please contact:

Joanne F. Villeneuve
Communications, Brandon University
270 – 18th Street
Brandon, MB R7A 6A9
204-727-9762
villeneuvej@brandonu.ca

http://www.brandonu.ca

Set in the early 1970’s, “The Drawer Boy” is the story of a visit paid by Miles, an idealistic actor from Toronto (Lavell), to the home of a pair of bachelor farmers (Bolduc and Forsythe). While researching farm life for a play he is involved with, Miles accidentally stumbles on a painful secret in the farmers’ past. In the aftermath of that secret being brought to light, all three characters discover the positive value of life with the truth out in the open.

“There are lots of moments that are laugh-out-loud funny,” Portman, the show’s director/producer. “One instance is when one of the farmers tells the actor to shuffle the eggs so the chickens won’t get upset when they’re taken away for good. But there are also some moments that are genuinely very moving”.

He adds that the play is suitable for everyone from teenagers to grandparents. “Everyone can find something to laugh at or relate to.”

“The Drawer Boy” was originally produced by Theatre Passe Muraille in Toronto, in 1999.

This is the second production featuring Portman, Forsythe and Bolduc. In 2010, they also collaborated on Pet Projects’ production of “Art” by Yazmina Reza.

Performances of “The Drawer Boy” will be at the Evans Theatre on the Brandon University Campus, Friday, April 20 and Saturday, April 21 at 8 p.m. as well as Sunday, April 22 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $15 and available from Hairistocracy and at the door.
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For more information, please contact:

Joanne F. Villeneuve
Communications, Brandon University
270 – 18th Street
Brandon, MB R7A 6A9
Tel. 204-727-9762
villeneuvej@brandonu.ca

http://www.brandonu.ca

Then, on Saturday, Dr. Brandt and the class will host a literary film festival that will showcase Manitoba authors through documentaries and in film adaptations of their novels and short stories. The schedule is as follows:

Film portraits of two internationally renowned Manitoba literary superstars

1:00 – 2:00 First Lady of Manawaka: Margaret Laurence (1979)
dir. Robert Duncan, prod. William Weintraub, narr. Jayne Eastwood (52 min.)

2:30 – 4:00 Gabrielle Roy (1998)
dir. Lea Pool, prod. Buffalo Gals (Winnipeg), narr. Sylvie Malo, et al (77 min.)
Best Documentary and Best Overall Sound, Prix Gemeaux 1998; Best Documentary, Banff TV Festival 1998; Best Canadian Work, Telefilm Canada Award 1998; Best History/Biography Documentary nominee, Gemini Awards 1999

NFB short film of a famous short story by celebrated MB/SK writer Sinclair Ross

5:00 – 5:15 Cornet at Night (1963)
dir. Stanley Jackson, prod. Peter Jones, National Film Board (14 min.)

Film adaptations of renowned novels by Neepawa author Margaret Laurence

5:30 – 7:00 The Stone Angel (2007)
dir. Kari Skogland, prod. Buffalo Gals (Wpg), starring Ellen Burstyn & Christine Horne,
filmed in Hartney, Manitoba (90 min.)

7:30 – 9:15 Rachel, Rachel (1968)
prod. & dir. Paul Newman, starring Joanne Woodward, James Olson & Kate Harrington,
based on the novel A Jest of God (101 min.)

9:30 – 11:30 The Diviners (1993) *** contingent on availability
dir. Anne Wheeler, prod. Atlantis (Winnipeg), screenplay Linda Svendsen, music
Randolph Peters (Wpg), starring Doreen Brownstone (Wpg), Evelyne Anderson,
Sonja Smits, Tom Jackson (Wpg), filmed in Souris, MB (117 min.)

“The fact that southwestern Manitoba is unequivocally the birthplace of the modern Canadian novel is one of this country’s best kept cultural secrets. We should be very proud of this astonishing legacy, and we hope you will all come out to help us celebrate our region’s rich literary heritage this weekend! ” said Dr. Brandt.

Both the opening reception, which will be held Friday at 2 p.m. on the second floor of the John Robbins Library on the BU campus, as well as the film festival, on Saturday in the Elephant Room in the Knowles-Douglas Student Building, are open to the public and admission is free.
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For more information, please contact:

Joanne F. Villeneuve
Communications
Brandon University
270 – 18th Street
Brandon, MB R7A 6A9
Tel. 204-727-9762
villeneuvej@brandonu.ca

http://www.brandonu.ca

BRANDON, MB — A play about Afghanistan, written by Brandon University Drama Professor James Forsythe, will be performed in Montreal. He has established a script development agreement with Teesri Duniya Theatre, in Montreal, to workshop his play script entitled “Safer Ground”. This work is based on the first-person accounts of Canadian military personnel and their families along with those of Afghan Canadians.

“Gathering this material involved building a bridge of trust with these two communities. Neither believes they have had their stories fairly told,” Forsythe said. “When people tell you things about the loss of friends and loved ones in war involving a sacrifice I can barely comprehend, to make life better, I have no choice but to feel privileged to be able to honour their words. I was given these stories. They were and are a gift. They deserve telling.”

This project builds on the success of “Soldier Up”, Forsythe’s 2008 production of military stories that combined and juxtaposed the voices of both communities. For this new play, Forsythe interviewed Afghan Canadians in Montreal, where he was teaching a course in Oral History and Performance at Concordia University, while on sabbatical in 2011.

“Projects such as “Safer Ground” have a pivotal role to play in educating ourselves and our communities about the critical issues facing us in Canada,” said Rahul Varma, Artistic Director of Teesri Duniya Theatre. “By highlighting stories of new Canadians through the prism of oral history and community-engaged theater, our project will be uniquely positioned to examine complex issues that will bring a critical consciousness to bear on some of the most troubling realities of the changing global environment.”

Teesri Duniya Theatre is dedicated to producing socially and politically relevant dramatic works, creating theatrical styles based on the experiences of culturally diverse communities in Canada. Multicultural diversity and intercultural interaction are defining features of the troupe’s work.

“I will be working with gifted artists on a project that I created,” said Forsythe. “I am thrilled and very lucky to have this opportunity.”

The script development workshop will take place in Montreal during the last week of April, culminating in a public presentation on April 29, 2012. This project has been facilitated by grants from the Manitoba Arts Council and the Canada Council for the Arts.
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For more information, please contact:

Linda Levesque
Teesri Duniya Theatre
514-848-0238
admin@teesriduniya.com
or
James Forsythe
Drama Department
Brandon University
204-727-9662
forsythe@brandonu.ca
or
Joanne F. Villeneuve
Communications
Brandon University
270 – 18th Street
Brandon, MB R7A 6A9
204-727-9762
villeneuvej@brandonu.ca
http://www.brandonu.ca

BRANDON, MB — To mark International Women’s Day, professors have selected 17 remarkable women students to be honoured during a campus celebration organized by the BU Status of Women Review Committee. They range in age. Their fields of interest vary. They all excel in their studies and have all earned multiple scholarships and other academic distinctions. What makes each of these women shine even more are their activities beyond the classroom.

• Natalie Bohrn (Jazz Music Performance – bass): freelance columnist and volunteer;
• Laura Brandon (Anthropology/Archeology and Native Studies): wife and mother of three, campus and community volunteer;
• Kirsty Cameron (Creative Arts): mother, winner of writing contests, campus volunteer;
• Krista Curry (Master of Education): wife and mother of four, published writer, superintendant of Border Land School Division;
• Alyssa Cuthbert (Biology – biomedicine): accomplished musician, community volunteer;
• Alise Gaiser (Biology – biomedicine): community volunteer;
• Chelsey Hiebert (Music Performance – oboe): Bobcat basketball team member, Academic All Canadian, music instructor;
• Hannah Mazier (Biology – biomedicine): campus and community volunteer, active club member, tutor;
• Darla Palmer (Biology – biomedicine): medical technician/corporal in the Canadian Forces Army Reserves, campus and community volunteer (including for the Souris Fire Department as an EM Technician);
• Shantelle Rank (Psychiatric Nursing): community volunteer, co-leader of the Suicide Survivor Young Adult Support Group;
• Julia Redfern (Biology – biomedicine): published research assistant, actor/singer in community productions;
• Jaryn Ruether (Nursing): Bobcat volleyball team captain, campus volunteer;
• Ericka Serrano (Master of Education): Spanish instructor, founder of the Brandon Latina Women’s Association, advocate and community volunteer;
• Carly Swain (Music Education): campus and community volunteer;
• Tina Thomas (Biology – biomedicine – and Psychology): medical assistant/private with the Canadian Armed Forces Reserves, community and campus volunteer,
• Tammy Turner (Nursing): wife and mother of three, lactation consultant;
• Melissa Wishart (Biology): accomplished musician, lifeguard, campus and community volunteer.

“We are blessed with this extraordinary and diverse group of talented and exceptional women students. It is wonderful that the Brandon University Status of Women Committee has chosen to recognize and honour them on International Women’s Day,” said University President Deborah Poff.

To read more about these accomplished women, please visit http://www.brandonu.ca/womens-week/ .
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For more information, please contact:

Joanne F. Villeneuve
Communications
Brandon University
270 – 18th Street
Brandon, MB R7A 6A9
Tel. 204-727-9762
villeneuvej@brandonu.ca

http://www.brandonu.ca

BRANDON, MB — The trials and tribulations of a young woman, nicknamed “Miss Witherspoon” in the afterlife, will be explored this week on the Evans Theatre stage, with opening night slated for Thursday evening. “Miss Witherspoon” was written by Christopher Durang, an award-winning playwright whose work has been produced on- and off-Broadway, in regional theaters throughout North America, and internationally.

Also the author of numerous satires, parodies and absurdist comedies, Durang first came to prominence in 1978 with “A History of the American Film”, his Tony Award-nominated musical spoof of Hollywood movies. His play “The Marriage of Bette and Boo” played the Evans in 1999.

This new play by this master of American contemporary comedy is the story of Veronica, a woman who is having trouble dealing with the angst of modern life — falling satellites in particular. After succumbing to her fears, she winds up in the Bardo, a Buddhist version of the afterlife where a strong-willed spirit guide will stop at nothing to get Veronica back to earth so she can learn the lessons her soul is supposed to learn. When her own efforts to inspire Veronica fail, the guide calls in the expertise of Jesus and Gandalf. This is a funny, satiric look at life, post 9-11.

The cast features Tara Vincent, Meagan Miller, Sarah Hallikas, Brittany Phillips, Chris Cook and Taylor Sukut. The stage manager is Kirsty Cameron and the play is directed and designed by James Forsythe.

Please be advised that though this production is open to the public, “Miss Witherspoon” is an adult comedy with language that some might find offensive and is not suitable for young children.

Performances of “Miss Witherspoon” will be held in the Evans Theatre, on the Brandon University campus. Tickets are $10 and are available at Campus Books and at the door. Brandon University students, with valid BU student cards, will receive one free admission to the Thursday, March 1 performance at 8 p.m. There will be additional performances on March 2 and March 3 at 8 p.m. as well as a 2 p.m. matinee on March 4.
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For more information, please contact:

Joanne F. Villeneuve
Communications
Brandon University
270 – 18th Street
Brandon, MB R7A 6A9
Tel. 204-727-9762
villeneuvej@brandonu.ca

http://www.brandonu.ca

BRANDON, MB — Laura Brandon, a 4th-year student at Brandon University has won the Society for American Archaeology’s Native American Undergraduate Scholarship in Archaeology. She is majoring in two disciplines — Anthropology with a specialization in Archeology and Native Studies. Also a wife and the mother of three children, Laura is currently working on her senior thesis and once done her undergraduate degree, she plans to pursue graduate studies with the hope of one day working in a museum.

“I feel very honoured to have received this award. For me, it is quite an accomplishment, through the struggles I’ve had as a full-time student trying to raise a family, and even work and volunteer at the same time,” said Laura. “I am grateful for the recognition and for the people at Brandon University and my family, who have supported me over the past four years.”

One of Laura’s professors and the chair of the Native Studies Department, Dr. Laurelyn Whitt felt that Laura was an ideal candidate for this scholarship, which is open to all Native peoples from the Americas, Alaska, Hawaii and some of the Pacific Islands.

“It is an extraordinary achievement, which should inspire and motivate other students,” said Dr. Whitt. “We have been extremely proud of her for some time, and are even more so now.”

In her thesis, Laura addresses a number of the pressing issues related to the repatriation of indigenous cultural artifacts. There are many challenges for both indigenous peoples and for the museums and individuals who currently have these items in their possession. She plans to use her scholarship to fund a research trip to Calgary’s Glenbow Museum, which has a major focus in her area of study.

“This is close to home for Laura, as one of her relatives’ pipes is being held at the Glenbow and has become the property of Alberta,” said Dr. Whitt. “I have complete confidence in her ability to navigate her way through these challenging issues, without sacrificing their complexity or her integrity.”

Of this exceptional student, Brandon University’s President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Deborah Poff stated: “ We are very proud of Laura’s achievement. Her thesis topic on the repatriation of indigenous cultural artifacts is of critical importance to Aboriginal people. I am so pleased that this scholarship will fund and support her thesis work.”
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For more information, please contact:

Joanne F. Villeneuve
Communications
Brandon University
270 – 18th Street
Brandon, MB R7A 6A9
Tel. 204-727-9762
villeneuvej@brandonu.ca

http://www.brandonu.ca